Christmas Outside the Hospital

While most of Christmas 2024 was spent inside of Primary Children's Hospital, we did celebrate some outside of the hospital walls as well. Since this was a Wheeler family Christmas, we drove down to Heber a few times to spend time with family. Our travel efforts were always richly rewarded, such as by chilaquiles courtesty of Christy and Ben. Yum!

A few days before Christmas we drove to Midway to swim with the group at Homestead Crater.  It was super fun!  I just felt bad that Annika and Jason couldn't join us, especially since thermal hot springs are kind of off limits now.

Playing games back at the cabin after.

We also celebrated a little bit with NomiAnn at Papa Kay at the Wilhoit's home.  (The Wilhoits were visiting family in Montana.)

Many thanks to our friend Melanie for gifting us the turkey dinner she won from R&R barbecue.

We also have Melanie to thank for tickets to the amazing Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

On Christmas Eve, Jason, Talia, Eli, and my parents all drove out to Heber to enjoy some appetizers and the Nativity story.

So fun to have Lance and Austin in town as well.  From the looks of it, Austin jumped right into character.   Welcome to the clan!

Violet seems to be enjoying the production as well.

These are the cozy moments I missed most.  Annika and I did our best to honor Christmas Eve, but it wasn't quite the same without family.  That's all right.  As many have pointed out, the circumstances of Christ's birth weren't ideal either.

Christmas morning.  Look how beautiful!  Santa came to Ginny, then Jason and the kids brought the loot up to Primary Children's.

Jason, Talia, and Eli even went skiing at Brighton over Christmas break.  The snow may not be as abundant as last year, but it's still amazing.

Finishing up with my own snow pic, taken during my morning commute to the hospital.  So many travel huge distances to Primary Children's hospital.  We feel fortunate to live so close, with heart-changing care available within walking distance of our own home.